Monday, March 17, 2014

Author Spotlight (Trish Kay Lleone)

It is a great honor to showcase this week's author spotlight. She's a fellow author and a fellow CSA survivor. Show your love to my Sister & friend Trish Kay Lleone.

My name is Trish Kaye Lleone and I am from the Philippines. On January 29th of this year, my memoir-based book, Finding Anna, was published and made available on Amazon.Com. 

Finding Anna tells about my own child sexual abuse and abandonment story. More than that, it tells about how I have learned to cope from my own traumatic experiences. For almost thirty years, I have lived behind the shadows, suffering and dealing with the pain and nightmares on my own. Being raped multiple times by various men - some of whom are family members - is not an experience that is easy to share even with your closest, dearest friend. However, for as long as my 'secret' remains hidden, the more I felt strongly about self-destructing. 

I wrote the book initially without the intention of getting it published. I have read from abuse websites that writing it down helps abuse victims find healing and therapy. That was all I wanted - to heal, to find peace, comfort and to let go of the pains that I had been carrying on my back. 

The decision to publish Finding Anna was not an easy one to make. I spent sleepless nights dealing with my own fears. What if my predators read the book? What if my family read the book? What will my friends say if they find out about my story? The questions just went on and on in my head for days until finally I knew I no longer want to be a victim. I want to be a SURVIVOR. 

In October 2013, I submitted the manuscript to Firebrand Publishing for publication. It was the best decision I have ever made. 

My journey made me realize that being a victim doesn't end after the abuse. It goes on for as long as the victim cowers in fear, hides behind shadows and lives in secrecy. Until one steps forward, acknowledges the reality of his or her traumatic experience and take steps to find healing, he or she remains a victim. Survivors are not survivors because they remained breathing, living and functioning despite the abuse. They are survivors because they took that one brave, bold step and faced their circumstances and did something for it to stop and for their spirits to heal. 

My prayer is that Finding Anna will encourage child sexual abuse victims to do the same - heal their spirits and find comfort for their souls through their own God-given skills, talents or gifts. Maybe you cannot write a book, but you can sing, or dance, or paint, or teach... Whatever it is that you are gifted with, use it to help other abuse victims and to prevent more children from becoming victims. 

I live in a country where stories such as mine are regarded as taboo. Where family name and honor is very important and that one small scandal would be absolute disgrace to the whole clan. Where poverty is in every nook and cranny. Where there are corrupt people in the seats of power. Often, cases of child sexual abuse are unreported due to these factors. In the last fifteen years, there had been a few high profile child abuse cases that had rocked my country, but even then there are still pedophiles loitering our streets, corrupting our children and molesting innocent bodies. Women and children's rights advocates are slowly getting tired of fighting because of the lack of support. 

Perhaps, if more abuse victims would come out, report to authorities and seek help, this will all change. May Finding Anna be the spark plug that would encourage children, women and even men who had suffered from sexual predators to come forward and create change and awareness. 

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Finding Anna: A Memoir: A True Story of Child Sexual Abuse can be purchased via Amazon.Com (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I4WPDJO
Follow Trish Kaye Lleone on Twitter @zheyrhumbee 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tklleone 
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7801105.Trish_Kaye_Lleone or her website: www.trishkayelleone.com